DragonForce announce 7th studio album due for May release

Reaching Into Infinity is the title of the power-metallers’ forthcoming release which will become available to the masses on May the 18th via EarMUSIC. The record will appear on CD, LP and a special edition CD and DVD.

This will be Gee Anzalone’s first studio effort with the titan metal act. This will surely have been a tremendous performance to have not only withstood but complement the DragonForce sound that we’ve all come to know and love, still boasting the band’s trademark face-melting musicianship and epileptic guitar work, courtesy of guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman.

London’s Black Heart venue in Camden Town will play host to the materials’ live debut on April 12th where fans can feast their senses on what is sure to be something incredible. On the show guitarist Sam Totman comments:

This is going to be insane! We always like to kick things off with some intimate shows and this will be the smallest London show we’ve done since doing 3 consecutive weeks at The Barfly back in 2005. It’s going to be a wild sweaty party!

In typical DragonForce fashion, there’s always more than you know going on behind the scenes. Having recorded a large majority of the album at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden with producer Jens Bogren, the band who never stop moving also laid down tracks while touring their Killer Elite best-of album, utilising Lamerluser Studios in London, Dark Lane Studios in Witney, as well as the band’s own Evil1 Studios in France and Shredforce One Studios in California.

Of the frantic schedule, bassist Frédéric Leclercq says:

We were flying out, playing a festival, then back into the studio, then back out again. It was very intense and very tiring. I obviously played bass but also a lot of rhythm guitar, electric and acoustic, and lost my temper a few times – I think we all did at some point, because we wanted to deliver nothing but the best.

Continuing on the nature of the new album, Frédéric explains:

I think we have proven that playing fast was something we were good at, so this time I wanted to bring even more diversity into our music. It’s great to challenge ourselves instead of staying in a comfort zone, and I really wanted to experiment with Marc’s vocals. I think people are going to be surprised at his brutality! The title of the album explains pretty much what we are trying to do with our music. Today’s world is really crazy, there is fear of the future, uncertainty. But the power of music is infinite, and it can give strength and hope to people.

Hopefully this won’t mean a departure from the insanity and chaos that people find in a good DragonForce record, but after all who can really tell in this crazy world. One thing for sure is that it will undoubtedly kick ass and at the end of the day that’s what we’re here for.

Unfortunately tickets for the Black Heart gig are already sold out, what did we expect?

The Standard Edition CD tracklist includes:

Reaching into Infinity

Ashes of the Dawn

Judgement Day

Astral Empire

Curse of Darkness

Silence

Midnight Madness

WAR!

Land of Shattered Dreams

The Edge of the World

Our Final Stand

Special Edition with multi-angle Bonus DVD will include the Standard Edition CD and the following bonus tracks: